Ultrasonic defoaming apparatus

ABSTRACT

Increasing the defoaming capability of an ultrasonic defoaming apparatus by inclining the ultrasonic vibrating plate at an angle of between 10* and 30* to the horizontal plane while inclining the flow guide plates relative to the same plane.

United States Patent 1 men,

lnventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority Norihisa Mirnura; Kraut aka Yoshkla; llsao 'lsuyuko, all 011 Machi, Asliignrn, Japan 75 1,199

Aug. 8, 1968 Aug. 3, 1971 Fuji Photo Film Co. Ltd. Kanagnwa, Japan Aug. 14, 1967 Japan ULTRASONIC DEFOAMING APPARATUS 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. .1 259/2, 252/361 Int. (11.. 18011 15/00 Field olsearclh 259/l,2, DIG 44, 72, 12. 29; 252/361 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1950 Nordenskjold 3,354,051 11/1967 Mitacek 3,425,951 2/1969 Mamoru Primary Examiner-Robert W. Jenkins: Attorney--Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak ABSTRACT: Increasing the defoaming capability of an ultrasonic defoaming apparatus by inclining the ultrasonic vibrating plate at an angle of between 10 and 30 to the horizontal plane while inclining the flow guide plates relative to the same plane.

FIG. I

(PRIOR ART) NORIHISA MIMURA KAZUTAKA YOSHIDA FIG. 4 ISAO TSUYUKI ATTORNEYS.

ULTRASONIC DEFOAMING APPARATUS The present invention relates to an improvement of the defoaming bath for the ultrasonic defoaming apparatus which removes the foams in the liquid by providing an ultrasonic vibration thereto.

As the irradiating direction of the ultrasonic energy is not set against the flow direction of the liquid to be defoamed in the conventional ultrasonic defoaming bath, the foams are difficult to separate from the liquid. In the case where the flow speed of the liquid is large in comparison with the floating ability, the defoaming ability is low. Since the principle of the ultrasonic defoaming involves removing the foam from the liquid flow by the resultant force of the radiation pressure of the ultrasonic energy, and the floating force of the foams, the direction of irradiations of the ultrasonic energy is set to meet this condition. That is, the vibrating plate is most effective when disposed so that the vibrating direction of the plate is skewed against the flow direction of the liquid.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved ultrasonic defoaming bath having improved defoaming.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ultrasonic defoaming bath having an inclined vibrating plate to increase the defoaming power thereof.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide an improved ultrasonic defoaming bath having an inclined vibrating plate and liquid flow guide plates inclined to a line perpendicular to the vibrating plate.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a conventional horizontaltype defoaming apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of an embodiment of the inclined-typc defoaming apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention with two flow paths;

FIG. 3B is a sectional view of another embodiment of the defoaming apparatus of the present invention with three flow paths;

FIG. 3C is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention with five flow paths; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view showing an embodiment of the present invention with the liquid flow guide plates inclined.

Referring now to the drawings, a conventional horizontaltype defoaming bath or apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. The defoaming bath 1 has two guide plates 2 for guiding the liquid flow along three sectional flow paths in order to make longer, the flowing path of the liquid to be defoamed whereby the defoaming power is increased. At the bottom of the bath there is provided an ultrasonic vibrating plate 5 by the vibration of which the liquid is defoamed. The liquid enters the bath through inlet 3 and exits through outlet 4.

The defoaming bath 1', illustrated in FIG. 2, is an inclinedtype defoaming bath wherein the defoaming bath of the conventional horizontal-type bath is inclined together with vibrating plate thereof. By experiment, the defoaming power became 3 times as great when the bath as inclined at to the horizontal plane, as the horizontal-type defoaming bath. As to the results of the experiments in respect to the effect of the number of the flow guide plates and the position thereof, as shown in FIGS. 3A, B and C, two three and five paths are formed by providing 1, 2 and 4 guide plates in respective baths. The defoaming power of the three paths is about 1.5 times as great as that of two paths and five paths. The flow of the liquid was more stable in the three path bath than that in other baths, thus the three path bath provided to be most suitable and effective for defoaming.

Furthermore, comparing the flow guide plates perpendicular to the vibrating plate, with the guide plates inclined-from the perpendicular position to the vibrating plate, the defoaming power was about 1.5 times as great as that of the ordinary noninclined guide plate, when the guide plates were inclined to the left of perpendicular at -80 or to the right at l00150 to the vibrating plate, as shown in FIG. 4 in the direction of flow. This is because (1) the inclined guide plate makes it easy for the foams adhering to the surface of the guide plate to climb up along the surface of the guide plate, and (2) the inclined guide plate effectively reflects the vibrations.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, is an ultrasonic defoaming bath having two effects, that is, one effect by an inclined vibrating plate and a second effect by inclined guide plates. The flow guide plates in this embodiment form three paths for the liquid to be defoamed. The defoaming bath 10 in FIG. 4 has a vibrating plate 11 and a vibration source 12 at the bottom thereof, sustained by an inclined base 13. The defoaming bath 10 is provided with an inlet 14 at the upper portion of the bath on the deep side and an outlet 15 at the lower portion of the bath on the shallow side thereof. Just inside of the inlet 114 is disposed a first flow guide plate to for guiding the liquid flow downward from the inlet. A second flow guide plate 17 is just behind said first guide plate 16 for guiding the flow downward further, whereby the liquid from the inlet flows against the transmitting direction of the wave generated by the vibrating member 12. Behind said second guide plate 17 is disposed a third guide plate 18 for guiding the liquid flow upwards, and behind the third guide plate 18, is disposed a fourth guide plate 19 for again guiding the liquid flow downwards. Thus, three paths are formed in the bath. Each guide plate 16, 17, 18 and 19 is inclined at about 6080 or to said vibrating plate 11 for increasing the defoaming power as described hereinabove. On the operation of the defoaming bath in accordance with the present invention, the liquid is better defoamed than by the conventional horizontal-type defoaming bath, since the ultrasonic energy is irradiated to the liquid flow from the most effective direction and the foams adhering to the surface of the guide plate easily move up along the guide plate. According to the experiment, the defoaming power by the embodiment in FIG. 4 was about 5 times as great as that by the conventional horizontal-type defoaming bath.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to some embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a horizontally oriented ultrasonic defoaming apparatus for defoaming liquid flowing therethrough by irradiating ultrasonic energy thereon, including a receptacle forming a longitudinal flow path and having a plurality of spaced flow guide plates carried by the receptacle and extending partially across the longitudinal flow path and a vibrating plate carried by the bottom of the receptacle for providing ultrasonic vibratory energy, the improvement comprising: means for inclining the vibrating plate at some angle from the horizontal plane.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angle of inclination of the vibrating plate from the horizontal plane is between 10 and 30.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein two flow guide plates are carried by the receptacle, one of which extends upwardly from the vibrating plate and the other extends downwardly from the container top.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibrating plate inclines downwardly toward the container inlet.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim ll wherein the flow guide plates are inclined with respect to said vibrating plate.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upstanding flow guide plates are inclined at 4-O80 with respect to the plane of the vibrating plate and in the direction of liquid flow.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the downwardly directed flow guide plate from the top of the receptacle is inclined at an angle of 60 to 80 to the plane of the vibrating plate and in the direction. of movement of flow of the liquid. 

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the angle of inclination of the vibrating plate from the horizontal plane is between 10* and 30*.
 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein two flow guide plates are carried by the receptacle, one of which extends upwardly from the vibrating plate and the other extends downwardly from the container top.
 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the vibrating plate inclines downwardly toward the container inlet.
 5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the flow guide plates are inclined with respect to said vibrating plate.
 6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upstanding flow guide plates are inclined at 40*-80* with respect to the plane of the vibrating plate and in the direction of liquid flow.
 7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the downwardly directed flow guide plate from the top of the receptacle is inclined at an angle of 60* to 80* to the plane of the vibrating plate and in the direction of movement of flow of the liquid. 